Success with Japanese soft drinks paves the way for the New Bottle Can to break its way into the U.S. beverage industry.



Success with Japanese soft drinks paves the way for the New Bottle Can to break its way into the U.S. beverage industry. The New Bottle Can is a reclosable aluminum beverage container that ranges in size from 300-500 ml. It is manufactured by Japan-based Daiwa Can Co., and Mitsui & Co., Ltd., and will initially be imported to the United States. Ball Corp., Broomfield, Colo., has the exclusive rights to sell and distribute the container here.

"The bottle enhances the traditional advantages of aluminum (i.e., superior barrier against light and oxygen, lightweight and unbreakable) with a reclosable feature, making it an ideal package for today's on-the-go consumer," says Bob Tettero, mgr., marketing, Ball.

More than three billion New Bottle Cans have been sold worldwide since debuting in Japan in 2000. Through an agreement directly with Daiwa and Mitsui, Kraft Foods, Northfield, Ill., became the first U.S. beverage manufacturer to use the New Bottle Can. Capri Sun Island Refreshers juice drinks debuted earlier this year in this unique package.

"We will work closely with our customers to explore ways to introduce the New Bottle Can in ways that take advantage of its distinctive look, superior graphics and cube efficiency in order to attract attention on shelves and in cold boxes," says Ball's Leon Midgett, executive v.p. and COO, packaging. "This looks to be a wonderful package for the right products. It provides a sleek, tamper-proof alternative to competing packages."

The New Bottle Can can be used to contain a wide variety of beverages, including those that are dairy-based.

"Daiwa recently modified the New Bottle Can to ensure it stands up to the high temperatures associated with retort processing. Before launching this as a retort container, we will make sure that it meets all U.S. regulations," says Tettero. "The retort process ensures that consumers can feel absolutely confident about the safety and quality of the product without the need for refrigeration."

"We are very excited about introducing this package to companies in the fast-growing segment of single-serve milk-based products," Tettero says.

Ball Corp.

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